Cuisine of Saint Helena
Encyclopedia
The island of Saint Helena
has been influenced by several Europe
an powers, by the inhabitants, (especially slaves) and the ships passing through, during its history. This has affected the cuisine of Saint Helena, which now has a vibrant and international cuisine variety.
Sunday roast
, curry
, black pudding, pumpkin
stew
and spicy fishcake
s. Fish is one of the staple foods, along with rice, and spices are added to make a wide variety of dishes similar to those found in the Caribbean
.
Fishcakes are made from a mixture of spices, herbs, mashed potato and fresh fish like mackerel and are covered in breadcrumbs. They are then baked or fried until golden brown. Pilau is a spiced curried rice with meat or fish. It is served hot often without vegetables. Coconut fingers are long, finger shaped Madeira cake
s dipped in icing and rolled in coconut. Pumpkin pudding is dish of baked pumpkin, dried fruit, flour, eggs and nutmeg.
, wahoo
and mackerel
are used, and often mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. Curries are made from meat or fish, and are served piping hot with a large amount of spice and often no vegetables at all. One example of this is Pilau. Fruit and vegetables are mostly locally grown, such as pumpkin
, coconut
and banana
. Pumpkin Pudding and Coconut Fingers are popular desserts.
.
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
has been influenced by several Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an powers, by the inhabitants, (especially slaves) and the ships passing through, during its history. This has affected the cuisine of Saint Helena, which now has a vibrant and international cuisine variety.
Popular dishes
Popular dishes on the island include traditional BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Sunday roast
Sunday roast
The Sunday roast is a traditional British main meal served on Sundays , consisting of roasted meat, roast potato or mashed potato, with accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, vegetables and gravy....
, curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
, black pudding, pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
and spicy fishcake
Fishcake
A fishcake is a food item similar to a croquette, consisting of a filleted fish and potato patty sometimes coated in breadcrumbs or batter, and fried. Fishcakes are often served in British fish and chip shops....
s. Fish is one of the staple foods, along with rice, and spices are added to make a wide variety of dishes similar to those found in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Fishcakes are made from a mixture of spices, herbs, mashed potato and fresh fish like mackerel and are covered in breadcrumbs. They are then baked or fried until golden brown. Pilau is a spiced curried rice with meat or fish. It is served hot often without vegetables. Coconut fingers are long, finger shaped Madeira cake
Madeira cake
Madeira cake is a sponge cake in traditional English cookery.The Madeira Cake has a firm yet light texture, eaten with tea or rarely for breakfast and is traditionally flavoured with lemon. Dating back to an original recipe in the 18th century or 19th century, it is not unlike a simple pound cake...
s dipped in icing and rolled in coconut. Pumpkin pudding is dish of baked pumpkin, dried fruit, flour, eggs and nutmeg.
Ingredients
Most ingredients for the most popular dishes are found locally. Fish, such as tunaTuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
, wahoo
Wahoo
The wahoo is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish...
and mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
are used, and often mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. Curries are made from meat or fish, and are served piping hot with a large amount of spice and often no vegetables at all. One example of this is Pilau. Fruit and vegetables are mostly locally grown, such as pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
. Pumpkin Pudding and Coconut Fingers are popular desserts.
Local drinks
St Helena is famous for its coffee and the island also produces a special distilled drink called Tungi SpiritTungi Spirit
Tungi Spirit is the name given to a distilled product made in Saint Helena from the fruit of the prickly or cactus pear .- Usage :...
.